Joseph Hibbard

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 15 Jan 1703, Windham, Windham, Connecticut
• Alternate death: 15 May 1751

Notes:

"He was a physician, a man of extraordinary perseverance and great moral worth. He was eminent for his learning and skill, and his practice at death was very extensive, and regarded as a great loss to the several towns and villages where he was called. He died with a protracted fever caused by over exertion, in the prime of his manhood, and his memory was not soon forgotten." [Augustine George Hibbard, citation details below]

Joseph married Anna Strickland on 13 Oct 1726 in Windham, Windham, Connecticut. Anna (daughter of Peter Strickland and Ann Bradford) was born about 1704; died on 31 Jan 1742 in Windham, Windham, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also spelled Hebard, Hibberd, Hibbert.

Joanna married Jonathan Strickland on 31 Oct 1754 in New London, New London, Connecticut. Jonathan died on 4 Feb 1781 in Stafford, Tolland, Connecticut; was buried in Old Stafford Street Cemetery, Stafford, Tolland, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Abigail married Oliver Stowell on 30 Jul 1778 in Stafford, Tolland, Connecticut. Oliver (son of Nathaniel Stowell and Margaret Trowbridge) was born on 7 Dec 1744 in Pomfret, Windham, Connecticut; died on 20 Jul 1836 in Abinton, Pomfret, Windham, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 23 Aug 1860, Ripon, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Notes:

From The Stowell Genealogy (citation details below):

There are so many of the Stowell name who have been Communicants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and who have held prominent positions in it, that a short history of how they became members may be interesting.

They are all descendants of Augustus Oliver Artemas Stowell who was the first one of the name to join. He was a prominent lawyer of Westfield, N.Y. which place with Palmyra was the first center of the new faith founded in 1830. The following account of the way Augustus O.A. came to join the Church was written by his son William Rufus Rogers Stowell and has been taken from his family records.

"In Feb. 1833, when Augustus O.A. and his oldest son Dan were going to Westfield, N. Y. they overtook a Mrs. Brewster and invited her to ride. He remarked 'It is a very cold day.' She replied, 'Yes, it is exceedingly cold, nevertheless, it did not prevent five persons from being baptised today. He expressed surprise and inquired, 'Of what denomination?' She replied. 'Mormon.' He remarked he had never before heard of such a religion. She replied, 'They are a new sect of religionists and I am now on my way to attend one of their meetings.' She extended to him an invitation to be present which he accepted, sending his son Dan home with the team to inform his family."

"About eleven o'clock A.M. next day he arrived home accompanied by a Mr. Higbee who came with him to the saw mill of Augustus O.A. to buy a load of lumber. An important feature was that Augustus O.A. brought home with him a 'Book of Mormon' which had been loaned him by a neighbor, Mr. John Gould. He told his family what he had seen and heard, read the book, became absorbed in it and studied it intently, but made no comment until after he had twice carefully read it through, when he closed it with emphasis and said with conviction, 'That book is as true as the Bible.' This copy was of the first edition, printed in Palmyra, N.Y. in 1830 and is still in possession of the family."

"Augustus O.A. was baptised in his own mill pond by Elder James Higbee, the same man who accompanied him home from that first meeting. Soon after this his wife, his eldest son Dan and some of his daughters joined, but the second son William Rufus Rogers did not join until Aug. 1834, a year later."

"At this time the Mormons who were actively proselyting were also being subjected to violent persecutions, their property destroyed, and their persons assailed by hostile mobs, so they were forced to move from place to place, gradually gravitating West into what was then a new and sparsely populated country. They finally selected Jackson County, Missouri, as their prospective central headquarters."

"In 1834 a military body called 'Zion Camp' composed wholly of Mormons was organized and marched from Ohio to Missouri to defend their brethern, while the Elders strove to prevent the disintegration of their Church, already commenced, because of apostacy through fear and persecutions."

"These persecutions had an important bearing upon the relationship of Augustus O.A. to the Mormon Church for they served to weaken his faith in his religion. He was a strong patriot and a loyal citizen to his Government which he thought the Church antagonized. These views caused him to sacrifice his religion to his patriotism and he withdrew from the Church. He was doubtless honest in his motives but in error as to his facts. He returned to Westfield, N.Y., resumed the practice of law and became prominent in his profession, having previously been admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of N.Y., 11 May 1808. He became intolerant and finally forbid his wife and children from attending Church or associating with the Saints, but his son William Rufus Rogers continued in the Church. He had accompanied them in their migrations to Nauvoo, Ill. and was Captain of a military company in the pilgrimage over the Desert to Salt Lake City and in all their battles with the hostile Indians. He was ordained an Elder and rose through all the various Church offices until he became a Patriarch, the highest of all except the President."

To make the record complete it might be added that none of the brothers or sisters of Augustus O.A. ever joined the Mormon Church. Some of the daughters of A. O. A. however, joined and remained in it. Dan, the eldest son of A.O.A. joined when a boy, but after he grew up lost all interest in the Church and remained in New York and Indiana until 1853 when he started with his wife and family of six children for California, but was killed while on the way by the Indians at the massacre at Provo, 16 March 1854. Some of Dan's descendants are members of the Church and some are not.

Augustus, the third and only other son of A.O.A., remained in New York State and never joined the Mormon Church, nor did any of his children.

Augustus married Mary Stephens Holmes in 1820. Mary (daughter of James Holmes and Milly Rawson) was born on 15 Sep 1797 in Warwick, Franklin, Massachusetts; died on 20 Nov 1885 in Ogden, Weber, Utah; was buried in Ogden City Cemetery, Ogden, Utah. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]